The 7-day World Athletics Level 1 Coaches Course has commenced in Winneba, Ghana, with over 30 coaches in attendance. The course, organized by Ghana Athletics in conjunction with the Winneba Sports College, aims to equip coaches with the necessary knowledge and skills to improve athletics performance in the country.
World Athletics certified facilitator, Mr. Apidogo Baba, expressed his excitement about imparting knowledge to the coaches. “We are always excited to impact knowledge and thank God World Athletics have given us this opportunity to impact,” he said. “I believe that the topics we have gone through today will grant them the Level 1 coaching certification, and from the look of things, I am expecting that by the end of this course, there will be a change in the areas in which all these coaches are coming from, in terms of athletics performance.”
Mr. Apidogo Baba highlighted some of the topics covered on day one, including growth and development, coaching philosophy, mental development, communication skills, anatomy, and physiology. “These are topics that majority of them have not come in contact with, and so it’s a good thing,” he said. “I could see from the way they responded that there is something new happening in their lives.”
Mr. Apidogo Baba advised the participants to stick to the rules and regulations of the course. “Life is about rules and regulations, and when you stick to them, it will give you the opportunity to produce better performance,” he said. “The coach’s interest is to improve performance, and these are the basic things. The people out there are not that special. Anytime I had this go out there, win the shot, I can. Today you talk about Saminu being the fastest man in the world. He was here; he just left. The coaches didn’t do anything special. They only followed the rules. They introduced the chaps to the various training regiments, that’s all.”
Upon successful completion of the course, participants will be awarded a World Athletics Level 1 certificate. The course is expected to end on Saturday, June 14, 2025, and will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the development of athletics in Ghana.
